Man gets 10 years for marijuana trafficking

SACRAMENTO - A 31-year-old Stockton man was sentenced Tuesday to 10 years in federal prison for growing and trafficking marijuana.

The Record

SACRAMENTO - A 31-year-old Stockton man was sentenced Tuesday to 10 years in federal prison for growing and trafficking marijuana.

A jury, after hearing testimony for three days, found Brandon A. Conley guilty of the drug charges and for possessing a firearm Feb. 15.

Federal prosecutors say Conley ran a large-scale marijuana grow operation inside a warehouse on South California Street in Stockton between November 2010 and February 2011.

Law enforcement officers raided the property on a search warrant and discovered about 2,000 marijuana plants and 1,500 starter plants, or clones.

They also found a loaded pistol-grip 12 gauge shotgun and a loaded .22-caliber rifle inside a room, where a person who watched over the operation stayed.

Prosecutors said the warehouse falsely had a "Notice to Law Enforcement" posted stating the facility was a medical marijuana business compliant with state law and that there were no firearms at the property.

A news release Tuesday said it was the type of operation that sold marijuana in pound quantities to whoever would buy it. These operations often sell to dispensaries and brokers who turn around and sell it.

Conley also was linked to another operation on Waterloo Road through utility records.